WINNIPEG โ A second antisemitic incident has been reported within a week at Kelvin High School in Winnipeg, after a Jewish student discovered a swastika inside their locker, school officials confirmed Monday.
The discovery follows an earlier incident in which a swastika was spray painted on the exterior of the school building at 155 Kingsway. Families were notified of that act of vandalism late last week. Winnipeg School Division officials said both incidents are under investigation, in coordination with the Winnipeg Police Service.
School administrators were alerted Monday after the student reported finding the hate symbol inside their locker. According to the parent of the student, the schoolโs response was immediate, including outreach to the family and a review of internal security footage. That review did not initially identify a suspect.
โWeโre all exhausted because itโs hard to see your congregation and your school hit,โ the parent said in an interview. The parent, who is a member of Congregation Shaarey Zedek, asked that their name not be published due to concerns their child may have been targeted after they spoke publicly about antisemitism in recent days.
Shaarey Zedek Synagogue was itself the target of vandalism earlier this month. Police have charged Oliver Didtger Ederhof, 34, with 14 counts of mischief under $5,000 in connection with multiple incidents, including damage to the synagogue. Police have not linked those charges to the Kelvin High School incidents.
Matt Henderson, superintendent of the Winnipeg School Division, described last weekโs spray paint incident at Kelvin as an unacceptable and cowardly act in a memo sent to families. Division officials confirmed Monday that school leaders and police are investigating the second incident but declined to provide additional details, citing the ongoing nature of the investigation.
Community leaders say the incidents underscore the need for proactive education.
โIโd like to see an assembly when something like this happens,โ said Belle Jarniewski, executive director of the Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada and head of its educational arm, the Manitoba Institute to Combat Antisemitism. โItโs really important that the whole school is taking this seriously. Itโs not a joke. Kids need to understand that this is not acceptable.โ
Jarniewski, the daughter of Holocaust survivors, said she has written to the schoolโs principal offering support and educational resources. Through the Manitoba Institute to Combat Antisemitism, she delivers free, customizable training sessions for educators, law enforcement, legal professionals, and healthcare workers focused on identifying and addressing contemporary antisemitism.
โIn recent months, weโve met with Crown prosecutors, police services, law firms, and medical students,โ Jarniewski said. โEducation is a key tool in preventing these incidents and responding effectively when they occur.โ
The Manitoba Institute to Combat Antisemitism was launched in the fall through a partnership between the Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada and the Asper Foundation. Its mandate is to promote education in response to a documented surge in anti-Jew rhetoric and incidents following the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
National data reflects that increase. Statistics Canada reported that 920 of the 1,342 religion related hate crimes recorded in 2024 targeted Jews, accounting for roughly 70 percent of such incidents. In Winnipeg, police reported 25 anti-Jewish incidents in 2024. The most common offences were mischief, uttering threats, and assault.
Those figures represent a sharp rise from previous years. Winnipeg Police recorded 18 hate motivated crimes against Jewish residents in 2023, up from seven in 2022.
Lillian Klausen, president of the Manitoba Teachersโ Society, said she was deeply troubled by the recent incidents.
โI am extremely disappointed and disheartened to learn about attacks against Jewish community members,โ Klausen said in a statement. โSchools must be safe environments for all students.โ
As investigations continue, Jewish families and community leaders say the incidents at Kelvin High School are part of a broader pattern that requires sustained attention.
โThis cannot be treated as isolated,โ Jarniewski said. โHow schools respond sends a message, not only to Jewish students, but to the entire community.โ
School officials have said they will continue working with police and community partners as the investigation proceeds.
